The Method of Fundamental Solutions for Solving the Backward Heat Conduction Problem with Conditioning by a New Post-Conditioner

Abstract

We consider a backward heat conduction problem (BHCP) in a slab, subject to noisy data at final time. The BHCP is known to be highly ill-posed. In order to stably solve the BHCP by a numerical method, we employ a new post-conditioner in the linear system obtained by the method of fundamental solutions (MFS), and then we use the conjugate gradient method (CGM) to solve the post-conditioned linear system to determine the unknown coefficients used in the expansion by the MFS. The method can retrieve the initial data rather well, with a certain degree of accuracy. Several numerical examples of the BHCP demonstrate that the present method is applicable, even for those of strongly ill-posed problems with a large value of final time and with large noise. We also demonstrate that the CGM alone is not enough to accurately recover the initial temperature.

Acknowledgments

Taiwan's National Science Council project NSC-99-2221-E-002-074-MY3 grant to the author is highly appreciated.